Department for Transport

Lichfield Trent Valley Station

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress there has been on providing disabled access to all three platforms at Lichfield Trent Valley railway station; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: Further to my Hon Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport’s (Claire Perry) response of 27 June 2016 (UIN 40101), consultation on the Hendy report recommendations is now complete and the responses have been analysed. We have worked with Network Rail to develop a proposal for consideration and this is currently going through internal finance and legal clearance, and I hope to make an announcement shortly. Lichfield Trent Valley is currently going through option selection before a detailed design is prepared.

Railways: Compensation

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the comments by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport to the Transport Select Committee on 7 November 2016, Question 347, that he was looking at making in-franchise charges to existing rail franchises, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing DelayRepay on all rail franchises via in-franchise changes rather than waiting for the commencement of the next round of the franchises.

Paul Maynard: Best value for the taxpayer in the introduction of compensation for delays from 15 minutes is likely to be achieved through franchise competitions as bidders will have incentives to deliver this at a competitive price. This is why the Department will be introducing the new policy through competition, where a competition is underway or is planned. The Department will work with the franchise operators to agree how and when these improvements will be implemented, where this does not apply, ensuring the best possible deal for passengers and taxpayers. The full roll out in these cases will be dependent on the Department reaching a commercial agreement with the existing franchise operators.

Railways: Compensation

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2016 to Question 52466, at which stations the additional staff paid for by the Rail Reparation Fund have been based.

Paul Maynard: Pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2016 to Question 52466, the additional staff paid for by the Rail Reparation Fund are based at London Victoria. The Fund is managed by Network Rail.

Railways: Staff

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the non-availability of conductors or guards on train service delays.

Paul Maynard: The Department has made no quantified assessment of these effects, as the rail industry reporting available to the Department on delays caused by train crew does not differentiate between the potential reasons behind those delays. However the Department is aware from discussions with train operators that the non-availability of conductors and guards can be a significant contributor to such delays.

West Midlands Combined Authority

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent civil servants employed by his Department work in support of the West Midlands Combined Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: There is no individual or team in the Department solely dedicated to the support of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Supporting the West Midlands Combined Authority forms a part of the roles of a number of officials within the Department, including road, rail, HS2, local transport and analytical teams. It is consequently not possible to provide an exact figure for full time equivalent staff working in this area.

Official Cars

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles of which type were used by the Government Car Service for each year from 2011-12; how many vehicles of which type were allocated for the use of each (a) Minister and (b) Department for each year from 2006-07; for those Departments which have their own car pool, for how long that arrangement has been in place; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes: The table at (A) shows the vehicles and type operated by the Government Car Service from 2011-12 to date. This confirms that the number of vehicles has fallen from 149 in April 2011 to 85 as at April 2016. The table at (B) shows the allocated vehicle to each department and ministerial office at the beginning of April in each year since 2006 -07 to date. The Ministry of Defence and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office both have their own car pools. The FCO pool started supporting their own Ministers following the 2010 general election. The Department for Work & Pensions made their own car arrangement in 2012 and the Ministry of Justice did the same in 2013.



Table A
(PDF Document, 43.88 KB)




Table B
(PDF Document, 29.15 KB)

Heathrow Airport: Housing

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on waiving stamp duty for private residents choosing to relocate away from Heathrow Airport after the construction of a third runway.

Mr John Hayes: The Secretary of State for Transport has not had discussion with the Chancellor about waiving stamp duty. These costs will not fall to local residents as Heathrow Airport Ltd has committed to pay the stamp duty costs for residents in both the compulsory and voluntary purchase zones.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of claims of force majeure made by Govia Thameslink Rail are related to (a) official industrial and (b) unofficial action.

Paul Maynard: Due to the unprecedented scale of disruption to passengers, that has been caused by the unwarranted union action, Govia Thameslink Railway have been unable to separate the claims of force majeure in this way, and therefore have made a single force majeure claim in respect of official and unofficial industrial action.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Rolling Stock

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Govia Thameslink Railway trains have been short formed in the last 12 months.

Paul Maynard: The Department does not specify to GTR how long every train must be and therefore does not hold this information. It is for each operator to use all reasonable endeavours to operate with sufficient capacity to meet passenger requirements. The Department incorporates a Peak Short Formation benchmark within GTR’s financial incentive regime, which measures the capacity delivered when the network is busiest. We have attached the latest position against the contractual benchmarks in the table below. Whilst Peak Short formations appear to be in excess of default levels, GTR has submitted a force majeure claim for official and unofficial industrial action undertaken by drivers and conductors on Southern services. The outcome of our assessment of their force majeure claim will determine GTR's performance level. Railway periodPeriod datesActual (%)Default (%)2015/16_P0818 Oct to 14 Nov 20150.771.112015/16_P0915 Nov to 12 Dec 20150.771.182015/16_P1013 Dec to 09 Jan 20160.821.282015/16_P1110 Jan to 06 Feb 20160.901.342015/16_P1207 Feb to 05 Mar 20161.001.392015/16_P1306 Mar to 31 Mar 20161.051.442016/17_P0101 Apr to 30 Apr 20161.081.472016/17_P0201 May to 28 May 20161.131.512016/17_P0329 May to 25 Jun 20161.411.552016/17_P0426 Jun to 23 Jul 20161.691.592016/17_P0524 Jul to 20 Aug 20161.771.582016/17_P0621 Aug to 17 Sep 20161.921.582016/17_P0718 Sep to 15 Oct 20161.991.58

Govia Thameslink Railway: Rolling Stock

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what reasons Govia Thameslink Railway has given to his Department for short train formations in the last 12 months.

Paul Maynard: The Department does not hold information on why a peak train has been short formed, except when it is subject to a force majeure or service recovery claim. In such instances, an operator needs to submit sufficient evidence of mitigations to the department. This is the case in respect of Govia Thameslink Railway’s current force majeure claim.

Airports: North West

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the economic implications of the recent announcement on airport capacity for the North West.

Mr John Hayes: An expanded Heathrow will better connect people and businesses to new long haul destinations and growing world markets. It will create thousands of jobs, boost our economy and help secure the UK’s position globally. A new runway will deliver up to £61 billion of benefits to passengers and the wider UK economy. The Department has undertaken an economic assessment of the impact of a new runway at Heathrow at a national level, taking account of all regions. As with other regions, the North West should benefit from access to new destinations, extra seats and increased frequency of service created by expansion at Heathrow.

Roads: Capital Investment

Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of Government investment in the road network.

Andrew Jones: The Government is investing £15.1 billion England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads, £6.1 billion for local highways maintenance, and £1.5 billion for small scale improvements in England from 2015/16 to 2020/21. Investment in the road networks of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the respective devolved administrations.

Alternative Fuels

Callum McCaig: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on provision for alternative fuels.

Mr John Hayes: Ministers and officials meet regularly with HM Treasury counterparts and discuss a wide range of issues, including alternative fuels. The Government keeps all taxes under review, including those for alternative fuels.

Department for Communities and Local Government

West Midlands Combined Authority

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many full-time equivalent civil servants employed by his Department work in support of the West Midlands Combined Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Percy: It is for local areas to resource the work of Combined Authorities. This includes the West Midlands Combined Authority. More broadly the government has established the Cities and Local Growth Unit. This unit supports the implementation of policies that seek to drive local economic growth and take forward devolution. The unit has almost 150 staff based in London and a number of regional locations, including in the West Midlands.

Affordable Housing

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides on the design and construction of affordable housing.

Gavin Barwell: The Homes and Communities Agency has published a number of guidance documents around design and sustainability providing practical, delivery related knowledge, research findings and good practice. The Department has also published the Starter Homes Design Guide. I have supplied the relevant links below.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/starter-homes-designhttps://www.gov.uk/topic/housing/design-and-sustainabilityhttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-funding-guide-hca

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Paraffin: Prices

Richard  Arkless: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of reasons for the disparity between the trade price of kerosene and that offered to individual consumers; what role his Department plays in regulating and monitoring this disparity; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Holding answer received on 14 November 2016



There is an open market for the supply of petroleum products, including jet kerosene and heating oil, in the UK which provides the best long term guarantee of competitive prices. The Government does not control prices but we do monitor the UK national average cost of jet kerosene and heating oil. The average cost for wholesale kerosene in September 2016 was 26 pence per litre, 1p more expensive than the corresponding month in 2015, and down 22p since its 2014 peak (Jan 2014). The average cost for retail kerosene in September 2016 was 37 pence per litre, 1p more expensive than the corresponding month in 2015, and down 22p since its 2014 peak (Jan 2014). The value of the pound sterling has been decreasing against the dollar which means crude oil, which is traded in dollars, becomes more expensive for UK refiners to import. Analysis suggests that on average, at a national level, crude price changes are fully passed through into kerosene prices within a month. In addition, the price of kerosene is influenced by a range of factors, including refinery capacity, stock levels, distribution costs, retail margins and seasonal factors The supply of kerosene in more remote areas is influenced by increased logistical costs. I encourage households that use kerosene to heat their homes to join an oil buying group and to shop around for the best deal.

British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has made direct payments to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme under the guarantee arrangements.

Jesse Norman: Holding answer received on 14 November 2016



No payments have been made into the scheme by the Government.

British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the Government has received from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994.

Jesse Norman: Holding answer received on 14 November 2016



 In its role as Guarantor, the Government has received £3,119m from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994 representing part of its share of assessed surpluses. Prior to 2009, the surplus-sharing arrangements worked well, with the presence of the Guarantee enabling the Trustees to invest in a way that generated surpluses and, as a consequence, bonuses to members. However, after shortfalls in 2009 and 2012 valuations, new arrangements were agreed in 2015 to end surplus-sharing and replace it by a series of fixed benefit uplifts for members in order to ensure the long term viability of the scheme.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Staff

Callum McCaig: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many civil servants are currently working in his Department on energy and climate changes issues; and how many civil servants were employed by the former Department for Energy and Climate Change in November 2014.

Jesse Norman: The Department’s activity to tackle climate change cuts across the work of various teams and is in many cases undertaken by officials who, as well as energy and climate change, also work to deliver the department’s other priorities.Consequently, it is not possible to calculate the exact number of officials who work on energy and climate change issues. However, as recent announcements outline, delivery of the Government’s commitments on climate change remains a key priority for the department.The Department for Energy and Climate Change’s published civil servant staff figures for November 2014 was 1575, including 102 senior civil servants.

Renewable Energy

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department has made on its analysis of whole system costs for intermittent renewable energy sources.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy recognises the importance of considering the whole system impacts (both costs and benefits) of different electricity technologies when formulating future Government policy: this is a crucial element in delivering secure, clean and affordable energy to consumers. The Department’s social cost benefit analysis, which plays a key role in policy making, accounts for wider system costs, including network and balancing costs.To deepen the Department’s understanding of the impacts of individual electricity generation technologies, Frontier Economics were commissioned to develop a comprehensive framework to define whole system impacts and their components and drivers, which can be applied to conventional, low-carbon and renewable large- and small-scale technologies. The resulting methodology report and its peer reviews will be published in due course.

Energy: Prices

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the average commission (a) ComparetheMarket, (b) GoCompare, (c) MoneySupermarket, (d) uSwitch and (e) Confused charge suppliers which are not British Gas, EDF, E.on, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE per single and dual fuel energy switch.

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the average commission (a) ComparetheMarket, (b) GoCompare, (c) MoneySupermarket, (d) uSwitch and (e) Confused charge (i) British Gas, (ii) EDF, (iii) E.on, (iv) Npower, (v) Scottish Power and (vi) SSE per single and dual fuel energy switch.

Jesse Norman: The commission arrangements between price comparison websites and energy suppliers are commercial matters for the individual companies concerned. The Department does not hold information on the average commission these price comparison companies charge the energy supply companies referred to, per single and dual fuel energy switch.

Housing: Energy

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of households are with their home, regional incumbent supplier for electricity and gas in each electricity supply region.

Jesse Norman: Data is collected by the department as part of the domestic fuels inquiry (DFI). This covers an estimated 86% of customers in the energy market. Customers not covered by the DFI are those supplied by smaller, non-home energy suppliers. Based on this data, the proportion of domestic customers that are supplied by their home, regional incumbent supplier for electricity and gas in quarter 2 2016 are as follows:RegionElectricityGasEast Midlands33%39%Eastern32%41%London40%50%Merseyside & North Wales32%46%North East27%35%North Scotland64%33%North West29%46%South East35%38%South Scotland41%42%South Wales54%33%South West37%42%Southern45%38%West Midlands27%43%Yorkshire27%42%

Offshore Industry

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's strategy is to provide support to (a) increase investment in, (b) create jobs in and (c) maximize the global competitiveness of the oil and gas sector.

Jesse Norman: The Government has now implemented all of the Wood Review recommendations and established the Oil and Gas Authority as a strong, independent regulator focused on maximising economic recovery of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). This in turn will help to drive investment and support jobs. The Oil and Gas Authority is working hard with industry to facilitate greater collaboration across the UKCS, increase efficiencies, and promote the industry in the UK and abroad.In the last two Budgets, the Government has provided a £2.3bn package of support to ensure the UK has one of the most competitive oil and gas tax regimes in the world, protecting jobs and investment. As part of this, we have contributed £40 million to fund two new seismic campaigns to help encourage exploration activity. In addition, the Oil and Gas Authority recently published a new supply chain strategy and delivery plan to maximise the economic potential of the supply chain, anchor the service sector in the UK and improve the supply chain’s export potential.

Energy: Prices

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of customers on the standard variable tariff of (a) British Gas, (b) EDF, (c) E.on, (d) Npower, (e) Scottish Power and (f) SSE; and what proportion of that company's customer base that number represents in each such case.

Jesse Norman: The Department collects tariff level data from energy suppliers in confidence and is therefore unable to publish this at an individual company level. Aggregate data is published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-energy-prices. This shows that around 70% of domestic gas and electricity customers are on variable tariffs. These include standard variable and any tariff whereby the price is not fixed for a set period of time.

Energy: Prices

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the profit margin for customers of (a) British Gas, (b) EDF, (c) E.on, (d) Npower, (e) Scottish Power and (f) SSE on the standard variable tariff.

Jesse Norman: The Department does not hold information on the profit margin for customers of energy suppliers on the standard variable tariff.

Energy: Prices

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the proportion of customers of (a) British Gas, (b) EDF, (c) E.on, (d) Npower, (e) Scottish Power and (f) SSE who moved onto a new fixed price tariff with (i) the same and (ii) a different energy supplier at the end of a fixed price tariff with those companies.

Jesse Norman: The Department does not hold information on the proportion of customers of energy suppliers who have moved onto a new fixed price tariff with the same or different energy supplier at the end of a fixed price tariff.

Energy: Prices

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which energy company is the largest dual fuel supplier in each electricity supply region; and what proportion of dual fuel customers are with that supplier in each such region.

Jesse Norman: The Department collects data on the number of customers on dual fuel tariffs from energy suppliers in confidence. The Department is therefore unable to publish any comparisons between companies or data on the proportion of dual fuel customers for each supplier in each region.

Construction: Finance

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of progress on the Wolstenholme review of cash retentions in the construction industry; when he expects that review to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Companies House

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will ensure that a public consultation is conducted with groups representing mesothelioma victims and other relevant stakeholders before decisions are made about changing current policies and protocols for retaining records on dissolved companies by Companies House.

Margot James: The Government has no current plans to bring forward proposals to reduce the period of time that Companies House retains records of dissolved companies. We will continue to keep the retention period under review. Any future proposal to change the retention period would be subject to public consultation, so that all interested parties, including those representing mesothelioma victims, will be able to express their views.

Companies House

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will ensure that there is no further destruction of records on dissolved companies held by Companies House before a public consultation is held with relevant stakeholders about changes to current policies and protocols for retaining data.

Margot James: The Government has no current plans to bring forward proposals to reduce the period of time that Companies House retains records of dissolved companies. Nevertheless, we will continue to keep the retention period under review, during which time the Registrar of Companies will ensure there is no destruction of records. Additionally, any future proposal to change the retention period would be subject to public consultation.

Companies House

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the criteria currently used by Companies House when deciding whether to retain or destroy records held of dissolved companies.

Margot James: The criteria currently used by Companies House when deciding whether to retain or destroy records is published in The National Archives’ Operational Selection Policy for Records Relating to the Regulation of Companies (OSP25). This document can be found at:http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20050302024151/http:/www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/selection/pdf/osp25.pdf



Regulation of Companies 
(PDF Document, 166.41 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: Arrests

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had on the arrest and detention of elected representatives from the Peoples' Democratic Party in Turkey.

Sir Alan Duncan: We continue to follow developments in Turkey closely and underline the importance of the rule of law and the protection of freedom of expression. I raised these issues most recently with Turkey's Minister for Europe, Omer Celik, in a phone call on 7 November.

Turkey: Human Rights

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Turkey (a) generally and (b) for the predominantly Kurdish and Alevi areas of the country.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​We monitor the situation in Turkey closely. We continue to encourage Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, especially in the areas of minority rights, freedom of religion and freedom of expression.

Turkey: Arrests

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he (a) has made or (b) intends to make to his Turkish counterpart on the arrest and detention of Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, and other elected representatives, from the Peoples' Democratic Party in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: We continue to follow developments in Turkey closely and underline the importance of the rule of law and the protection of freedom of expression. I raised these issues most recently with Turkey's Minister for Europe, Omer Celik, in a phone call on 7 November.

Turkey: Arrests

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to discuss the matter of the arrest and detention of elected representatives from the People's Democratic Party in Turkey with counterparts and officials in the (a) EU, (b) Council of Europe and (c) UN.

Sir Alan Duncan: We continue to follow developments in Turkey closely and underline the importance of the rule of law and the protection of freedom of expression. HMG regularly discusses such issues in international fora. The EU issued a statement on 8 November concerning recent events in Turkey, including the detention of MPs. The Council Of Europe also raised its concerns in a statement on 5 November.

Burma: Democracy

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help facilitate the successful transition of Burma to a fully democratic nation.

Alok Sharma: The UK Government has played an integral part in Burma's transition. We provided technical support to the 2015 elections and pressed for the deployment of EU observers, which helped ensure the technical integrity of the process. When State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited the UK in September, The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced a package of support for Burma worth £118 million this year, including to support Burma's transition. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, visited Burma from 9-12 November, where she met a number of Ministers in the Burmese Government including for discussions on the country's ongoing democratic transition.

Central African Republic: Peace Negotiations

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to work with international partners to facilitate peace in the Central African Republic.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: In July 2016, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the UK agreed to extend the mandate for MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic (CAR); we also contributed £33 million to MINUSCA in 2015/16.Since 2013 the UK has provided £63 million to support CAR and CAR refugees; £1.3million through the African Union to fight sexual violence; and £2.5million in development funding. The UK will join international partners at the CAR Donor Conference in Brussels on 17 November.

Mali: Rule of Law

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote the rule of law in Mali.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Our Embassy in Bamako is working closely with international partners to support implementation of the Mali Peace Accord and to combat the violent extremism which is causing civil conflict in several regions. Our participation in the EU’s civilian and military training missions are building the capacity of Mali’s security forces. Our bilateral programmes are also strengthening the Malian authorities’ capacity and capability to respond to threats to national and regional security and stability.

Cayman Islands: LGBT People

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to Question 42054, what representations his Department has (a) made to and (b) received from the government of the Cayman Islands on the obligations of Overseas Territory governments to comply with their international obligations to combat discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 42054, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the government of the Cayman Islands complies with its international obligations to combat discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Sir Alan Duncan: The British Government works closely with the Overseas Territories (OTs) on LGB&T equality to ensure that the OTs meet their international human rights obligations in this area. At the annual conference of Overseas Territories Attorneys General in September, the UK Solicitor General and the Attorneys General of the OTs, including Cayman, discussed cooperation on a number of important topics, including human rights.In October, The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns, visited the Cayman Islands. In meetings with the Cayman Islands Premier and Members of the Legislative Assembly, Baroness Anelay reiterated the need for the Cayman Islands Government to comply with its international obligations on LGB&T equality.Earlier this month, the Solicitor General and Baroness Anelay co-chaired a session on human rights with OT leaders at the Joint Ministerial Council in London. Baroness Anelay emphasised this Government's resolve to continue to promote respect for human rights and ensure the highest standards of governance in the Territories. Participants committed themselves to working together to further develop the capability of Territories' National Human Rights Institutions, and to promote understanding of our shared international human rights obligations. We have not received representations from the Cayman Islands Government on this issue.Whilst we expect all OT Governments to comply with their evolving international human rights obligations, legislating in this area is for OT Governments alone.

China: UN Human Rights Council

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he supported the re-election of China to the UN Human Rights Council on 28 October 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: The UK has a long-standing policy of not revealing our voting intentions nor how we voted in the past.

Farhang Amiri

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Iranian Ambassador to the UK in relation to the murder of Farhang Amiri in Yazd on 26 September 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK government is aware of reports regarding the death of Farhang Amiri in Yazd. The UK notes the worrying trend of harassment of religious minorities in Iran (including of the Baha'i community) and strongly condemns any violence towards and mistreatment of minority groups in the country. We have not specifically raised the case of the death of Farhang Amiri, but we regularly raise our concerns about the treatment of religious minorities in Iran both in London and Tehran. We call on Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.

West Bank: Housing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of settlement structures in Amona, West Bank.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have not made a specific assessment of settlement structures in Amona but we fund a number of projects to monitor and report on settlement expansion in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and to protect vulnerable Palestinian communities from the effects of settlement expansion.We are clear that Israeli outposts in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, illegal under international law and Israeli law, should be removed entirely. We are deeply concerned by moves to retroactively "legalise" illegal outposts in the West Bank.

West Bank: Housing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Israeli government on the effect on the number of outpost structures in the West Bank of the Israeli High Court ruling of 2014.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We have not had discussions on this specific ruling, but the Government has been clear we are deeply concerned by the trend of retroactive "legalisation" of outposts. Moves to retroactively approve unauthorised settlement outposts call into question the commitment of the Israeli government to the two-state solution.We continue to raise our grave concerns about Israeli settlements with the Israeli government. On 16 November 2016, I issued a statement expressing concern about The Land Regulation Bill to 'legalise' settlement outposts in the West Bank. On 5 October 2016, I issued a public statement condemning the announcement of plans to construct a new settlement near Shilo. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) raised our concern over new settlements with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he met him in Jerusalem on 30 September. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv have also regularly raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities on the continued expansion of settlements and the retroactive "legalisation" of outposts in the West Bank.

Offences against Children

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens have been charged with sexual abuse against children by jurisdictions outside the UK in each year since 2010.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Based on data recorded in FCO's consular case management system, the figures are as follows: ​2010201120122013201420152016*Arrest/detention – Child Sex64759061638557Arrest/detention – Child Pornography------12 *Data up until the end of October.

Northern Ireland Office

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Finance

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the potential effect on funding for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to 2023 of the Northern Ireland Executive's plan to remove all peace walls in Northern Ireland by that date.

James Brokenshire: The Police Service of Northern Ireland is funded by the Department of Justice for Northern Ireland. Allocation of the PSNI’s budget is a matter for the Chief Constable. As the Government’s Northern Ireland manifesto at the General Election set out, we will always give our fullest possible backing to the men and women of the PSNI who do such a superb job. That is partly why this Government has provided specific Additional Security Funding totalling £230 million in the last parliament and £160 million in the current parliament. The UK Government has also provided specific funding to the NI Executive to contribute to conditions that will allow the removal of peace walls. In addition, I refer the hon Gentleman to the answer I gave to question UIN 52739 today.

Peace Walls

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on its plans to remove all peace walls in Northern Ireland by 2023.

James Brokenshire: The Northern Ireland Executive’s plan to remove peace walls in Northern Ireland by 2023 formed part of its wider ‘Together: Building a United Community’ Strategy which set out proposals for tackling the entrenched sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland and for building a shared society. In 2013, the UK Government announced an economic pact ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community’ which specifically provided for a £100m extension of Executive borrowing powers to help rebalance the economy and to assist in the delivery of their plans to build a shared future. Subsequent to this, as part of the Fresh Start Agreement, the UK Government provided additional funding of £60m over five years to ensure the Executive expedited its commitments under the ‘Together: Building a United Community’ Strategy, including those relating to peace walls. I have had a number of discussions with members of the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to the implementation of both the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, and I will continue to do so.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Legal Costs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the total expenditure by his Department on dedicated legal support pertaining to the court case R (Miller) v the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, relating to Article 50.

Mr Robin Walker: The court case R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union is ongoing and, as the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union said in his statement to the House on 7 November 2016, all those figures will be published in due course.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to support increased investment in decentralised renewable energy projects in developing countries.

James Wharton: The UK Government is playing a leading role in improving energy access in developing countries through decentralised renewable energy, to help meet the basic energy needs of some of the poorest people in the world.For example, programmes in Kenya and Tanzania aim to stimulate investment in community scale, renewable energy mini-grids, increasing electricity access for millions of people. The Renewable Energy and Adaptation to Climate Technologies (REACT) challenge fund has provided seed finance for decentralised, renewable energy businesses to grow in countries of East Africa. And the Energy Africa campaign is working with a range of African countries and businesses to accelerate the expansion of markets in Africa so that people are able to buy affordable solar systems.

Developing Countries: Malaria

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of her Department's progress on tackling malaria in developing countries.

James Wharton: Between 2000 and 2015 DFID helped to reduce global malaria deaths by 60%, saving 6.2 million lives, and preventing 1.2 billion malaria cases. We support the World Health Organisation goal to reduce malaria deaths by 90% by 2030, on a path to a malaria free world, and contribute through the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and malaria, country and regional health programmes, and research funding.In September DFID pledged £1.1 billion to the Global Fund for 2017 to 2019. This included a commitment to double private sector contributions to malaria (up to £200 million) and will fund up to 40 million bednets. Malaria has a high economic cost for affected countries, especially in Africa, so tackling the disease both saves lives and contributes to prosperity.

Developing Countries: Private Education

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much Government overseas development assistance expenditure is spent directly or indirectly on low-fee, for profit private schools in (a) Nigeria, (b) Pakistan, (c) Kenya and (d) Uganda.

Rory Stewart: Our absolute priority is to ensure children in the world’s poorest countries get the education they deserve, regardless of whether the school is public or private. When state provision is not delivering for the poorest, we work with low-cost privately run schools to provide an education to children who would otherwise get none. DFID has made direct investments in low-fee schools in Nigeria, Kenya and Pakistan. In Nigeria, we have spent £7.6m since 2013, 4,000 students are enrolled in 17 new schools in deprived areas of Lagos, with ongoing work to improve the quality standards of education provided to 1.8 million primary students in private schools. In Kenya we have spent £2.4m since 2014. We paid for 20,000 children to go to private schools in deprived urban areas where there is very limited state provision.In Pakistan we have spent £28m since 2012, contributed to enrolling 1.7 million children in Punjab and 16,000 children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In addition, the UK’s development finance institution, CDC, invested $7.1m in 2014 on low fee private schools, which includes support in Uganda.

Developing Countries: Education

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to respond to the recent recommendations by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on privatisation and the right to education.

Rory Stewart: The United Kingdom notes the recent recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Our priority is to ensure children get the education they deserve and in the vast majority of cases this means investing in the state sector. However, where state provision is weak or non-existent we work with paid-for schools to provide an education to children who would otherwise get none.It is important for national governments to define the appropriate balance between private and public provision in their country, in compliance with their international human rights obligations. We do not accept that DFID’s funding of private provision of education violates children’s right to an education. On the contrary, in many cases it secures it.

Developing Countries: Education

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when her Department plans to publish a new global education strategy setting out how the UK will help to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Rory Stewart: The UK Aid Strategy sets out how the Government will tackle the great global challenges of our age in order to eliminate poverty. DFID is helping to ensure that every girl and boy can access, and complete, a good quality basic education.

Ukraine: Internally Displaced People

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in Ukraine on assistance for internally displaced people in that country.

Rory Stewart: DFID officials and staff of the British Embassy in Kyiv are in regular contact with the Government of Ukraine and international partners regarding assistance for internally displaced people in Ukraine. My predecessor, Sir Desmond Swayne, met the current Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced People during his visit to Ukraine in November 2015.Since 2014, the UK has played a key role in supporting the humanitarian response in eastern Ukraine. For internally displaced people, this has included support to meet basic living requirements, providing training in business skills and help for those who have survived sexual and gender-based violence to access medical and legal services.

Developing Countries: Private Education

Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of direct or indirect Government overseas development assistance expenditure on low-fee, for profit private schools on the performance of those schools.

Rory Stewart: Through targeted investments in programming and research DFID is helping to build, and expand, the emerging evidence base on the performance of the low cost private education sector. It is also directly enabling children to attend school.In East Africa, CDC’s investments have led to 245 schools opening, educating 60,000 children in areas with limited state school provision. Latest evidence shows that children educated in private and philanthropic schools in developing countries often fare better in terms of both teaching and learning than those in educated in public schools. However it remains the case globally that too many children are either out of school altogether or not achieving basic competencies, which is why the government continues to invest in providing a decent education for millions of children in developing countries.

Department for Education

Apprentices

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect that new funding rates to be implemented from May 2017 will have on the number of young people from low-income backgrounds undertaking an apprenticeship; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Halfon: We are committed to ensuring that apprenticeships are as accessible as possible to all people from all backgrounds. We are making available over £60million to support the undertaking of apprenticeships by individuals from disadvantaged areas. This funding is at least equivalent to that currently in the system and is expected to maintain levels of starts in these areas.To support employers to offer more apprenticeships, under the apprenticeship funding policy published in October, we announced that Government will pay providers an additional payment for training an apprentice who lives in areas amongst the 27% most deprived: £600 for the 1-10% most deprived, £300 for the next 11-20%, and £200 for the next 21-27%. These payments will be in place for one year whilst we review the system for supporting people from disadvantaged backgrounds.Under the new funding policy, there will be extra payments for 16-18 year olds and 19-24 year olds formerly in care or with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Employers and providers will receive a payment of £1,000 to support additional costs associated with these apprentices.We are increasing numbers of traineeships to further support young people, including those from areas of disadvantage, into apprenticeships and further work. In addition, on 25 October we published an equality analysis on the funding changes, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/562409/Equality_analysis_apprenticeship_funding_from_May_2017.pdf

Higher Education: Finance

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2016 to Question 50332, what assessment she has made of the (a) level of variation in assumptions made by different institutions in devising fee income estimates and (b) effect of that variation on the utility of those estimates; and if she will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: Higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies. They are responsible for making their own assumptions about how their income and expenditure will develop in the future, reflecting their judgment about the impact of current actions and strategies, as well as external influences. They are also responsible for putting in place measures to ensure their financial sustainability.HEIs provide the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) with these forecasts to enable it to assess the financial sustainability both of individual institutions and the sector as a whole. HEFCE recently published its 2015-16 report on the financial health of the HE sector, which can be found at:http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/HEFCE,2014/Content/Pubs/2016/201634/HEFCE2016_34.pdf

Higher Education: Finance

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2016 to Question 50332, what assessment she has made of the effect of (a) the UK leaving the EU and (b) proposed changes to the student and work route of entry on fee income estimates.

Joseph Johnson: Any effects on higher education institutions following the UK’s exit from the EU will be considered as part of wider discussions about the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Faith Schools

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department's proposed change to the requirement for new religious free schools in respect of potential applications from people of other faiths or none represents a change in policy; and what the reasons are for that proposed change.

Caroline Dinenage: The consultation document, Schools that work for everyone, sets out the government’s view that the 50% cap has not been effective in promoting diversity, and in its place, presents a series of strengthened safeguards to ensure that every new faith school operates in a way that promotes fundamental British values and supports inclusivity.The consultation also includes a proposal that new faith-designated free schools, should demonstrate that parents of pupils from all parts of their local community, would be happy for their child to attend their school.These changes present an opportunity to explore new ways of using the school system to promote greater integration within our society generally.

Apprentices

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage employers to ensure that internship places provide experience of value to participant (a) interns and (b) companies.

Joseph Johnson: The Government continues to promote and encourage the creation of high-quality internships. Our Graduate Talent Pool (www.gov.uk/find-internship), a service aimed at employers and recent graduates, is playing a valuable role. Online guidance, workshops and the quality assurance of all vacancies ensures all internships advertised are providing a valuable and worthwhile opportunity for both parties. However, the key responsibility rests with businesses and education providers, which must work together to help students acquire the skills and knowledge that employers need.

Free Schools

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and which free school project applications have been withdrawn or cancelled in each year since 2011.

Edward Timpson: There are 345 open free schools, and 234 projects approved into pre-opening. 39 projects have either been withdrawn by proposer groups or cancelled by the Department before projects come into fruition. The table below sets out the projects which were withdrawn or cancelled since 2011:   Cancelled or withdrawn projectsYear cancelled or withdrawnBBG Parents Alliance (Birkenshaw, Birstall and Gomersal)2011The Rotherham central free school2012Newham Free Academy2012Harris/AESE Free School Tottenham2012Rivendale free school2012Chorley career and sixth form academy2012The Priory Rural Skills and Equestrian Free School2012Harris free school Tottenham2012The Northern Lights Primary School2013TLG Bradford2013The Bristol primary school2013Rainbow schools Nottingham2013Warrington Montessori school2013The Leeds retail and financial services academy2013Barnfield fernwood free school2013The Free School Leeds2013Newark School of Enterprise (formerly Exemplar Newark Business Academy)2014Phoenix free school of Oldham2014Oasis community school Walthamstow2014Marco Polo academy2014The advance school Norbury2014On track Chiltern2014The Inspirar Bilingual academy2014Hackney Wick Academy2015Luton Girls' Academy2015St Mary's CE Primary School2015Khalsa Engineering Academy2015Gateway Academy2015Harris Primary Free School Nunhead2015Harris Primary Free School Tottenham Hale2015Crystal Palace Primary School2015Elements Primary School2015Powerlist Post 16 Leadership College2015STEM Academy Croydon Gateway2015Trinity High School2015Harperbury Free School2016Gladstone School2016Bury St Edmunds: Middle Phase2016The Ashworth Preparatory School2016

Apprentices: Digital Technology

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date employers will become able to register on the Digital Apprenticeship Scheme.

Robert Halfon: Employers that pay the apprenticeship levy will be able to register for an account on the digital apprenticeship service from January 2017.

Free Schools

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many free schools that opened in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 are in temporary buildings.

Edward Timpson: There are currently 26 free schools which opened in either 2010, 2011, 2012 or 2013 which are in temporary buildings.Year of openingIn Temporary Buildings201002011120125201320

Free Schools

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the longest period is for which a free school has remained in temporary accommodation.

Edward Timpson: One free school has been in temporary accommodation for five years and two months. It has been rated outstanding by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted).

Spanish Language: Qualifications

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students took (a) a GCSE and (b) an AS/A2 Level in Spanish in each of the last five years.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students took (a) a GCSE and (b) an AS/A2 Level in German in each of the last five years.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students took (a) a GCSE and (b) an AS/A2 Level in French in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The time series for the number of GCSE entries in Spanish, German and French for the last 5 years in England is published in the GCSE and equivalent results: 2015 to 2016 (provisional) statistical first release (SFR)[1]. The time series for the number of A and AS level entries in Spanish, German or French for the last 5 years in England is published in the “A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2015 to 2016 (provisional)” SFR[2]. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gcse-and-equivalent-results-2015-to-2016-provisional (Subject time series tables)[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-level-3-results-2015-to-2016-provisional (Subject time series tables)

Education Funding Agency

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2016 to Question 49975, which academy trusts had schools removed and rebrokered to other trusts; which schools were so removed and rebrokered; and how many schools each academy trust that received a financial notice to improve ran prior to receiving a notice from the Education Funding Agency.

Edward Timpson: The list of 6 trusts and the 24 schools that were rebrokered, together with the number of schools in those trusts when the financial notices were issued, can be seen in the table below.There is one FNTI that has been issued but has not yet been published. The trust under this FNTI has had one school rebrokered and cannot be included in the table at this stage. Trust Name and Academy/Free School NamesNumber of schools rebrokeredNumber of schools each academy trust ran prior to receiving financial notice to improveAcademies Enterprise Trust870Childwall Sports & Science Academy  East Point Academy  Greenfield Academy  Molehill Primary Academy  Oaks Primary Academy  Peak Academy  The Duston School  Tree Tops Primary Academy  Barnfield Academy Trust55Barnfield Business and Enterprise Studio  Barnfield Moorlands Free School  Barnfield South Academy Luton  Barnfield Vale Academy  Barnfield West Academy Luton  Bishop of Rochester Academy11Rochester Academy  E-ACT831Dartmouth Academy  Leeds East Academy  Leeds West Academy  Sherwood Academy  The Featherstone Academy  The Forest High School  The Gainsborough Academy  The Winsford Academy  Sawtry Community College11Sawtry Community College  St Aldhelm's Academy, The11St Aldhelm's Academy

Children: Day Care

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding per head (a) was allocated for childcare in each constituency in the financial year 2010-11 and (b) is expected to be allocated for childcare in each constituency in the financial year 2017-18.

Caroline Dinenage: Funding for the free early years entitlements is allocated on a local authority basis. Prior to 2013-14, local authority funding allocations for early years were not separately identified within the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). Instead, they were part of the total DSG allocated to each local authority. Early years allocations for 2010-11 are not therefore available.The new funding rates under our proposed early years national funding formula from 2017-18, can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-funding-changes-to-funding-for-3-and-4-year-oldsThe consultation on these new rates has now closed and the Government is preparing its response.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Governors

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to provide support to prison governors providing care for the well-being of prison officers.

Mr Sam Gyimah: NOMS is committed to provide safe, decent and secure places of work and takes the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees extremely seriously. We recognise that the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of employees is paramount to attracting and retaining our staff that will build a strong and capable organisation. We aim to achieve this by engaging with our employees to provide good quality advice and support, promote responsibility for personal health and nurture a feeling of organisational pride. In terms of direct support for our staff in NOMS, we have access to an Occupational Health and Employee Assistance Programme that provides a wide range of support arrangements including: comprehensive employee assistance provision which includes 24 hour access to signposting and counselling on a wide range of issues; Trauma Support services; a wide ranging health promotion website and personal wellbeing zone including advice on weight management and stress management solutions. NOMS staff can also self-refer for confidential counselling, up to a maximum of six sessions in any 12 month period. The helpline is open for staff to do this 24 hours, 365 days a year. NOMS has adopted the Health and Safety Executive Stress Management Standards and the NOMS Stress Toolkit has been developed for use by both managers and staff as appropriate. There are also a number of resources available to support staff from Civil Service Learning including an online resilience package.

Prisoners: LGBT People

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many LGBTQ prisoners have been (a) diagnosed and (b) received treatment for mental health issues in the last 12 months.

Dr Phillip Lee: The department does not hold this information, which relates to confidential medical records of patients.

Bedford Prison

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) assaults on staff (b) assaults on prisoners and (c) self-harm incidents occurred at HMP Bedford in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Safety in Custody statistics, including assaults on prison staff and prisoners and self-harm incidents, are published quarterly, and establishment level data are updated annually. The latest bulletin was published on 27 October 2016 and can be found on gov.uk.

Cemeteries: Safety

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) killed and (b) seriously injured by headstones in graveyards in the last 10 years.

Dr Phillip Lee: The information requested is not held centrally.

Offenders: Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people died by suicide within a year of being released from prison in England in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The available information about the deaths of offenders who died while under probation supervision after their release from custody in England and Wales is published on gov.uk.

Pentonville Prison

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) assaults on staff, (b) assaults on prisoners and (c) self-harm incidents occurred at HM Prison Pentonville in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Safety in Custody statistics, including assaults on prison staff and prisoners and self-harm incidents, are published quarterly and establishment level data are updated annually. The latest bulletin was published on 27 October 2016 and can be found on gov.uk.

Child Abuse in North Wales Judicial Inquiry Review

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will publish an updated copy of the Macur Review with redactions relating to sentencing of Gordon Angleseas reinstated.

Dr Phillip Lee: We will consider this matter when court proceedings, including any appeal, have concluded.

Coroners: Legal Aid Scheme

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her Department's policy is on the future availability of legal aid funding for inquests.

Sir Oliver Heald: Applications for legal aid funding for advice or representation for inquests are considered independently by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) on behalf of the Director of Legal Aid Casework. For applications for exceptional case funding for representation the Director must have regard to Guidance issued by the Lord Chancellor. Both the Ministry of Justice and the LAA routinely and closely monitor the operation of the legal aid scheme, taking action when issues or problems are identified.

Scotland Office

Local Government: Edinburgh and South East City Region

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what progress has been made on the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal; when he expects that deal to be concluded; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Over the summer, my officials and Scottish Government officials held several workshops with the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal partners. During these workshops, a number of questions were put to the Deal partners about their proposals. We continue to work with the Edinburgh and South East Scotland Deal partners as we develop the case for a City Region Deal.

Women against State Pension Inequality

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will meet representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

David Mundell: I understand that representatives of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) met earlier this year with the then Minister for Pensions, with whom overall responsibility for this area lies. I also understand that there will be a further meeting between All Party Parliamentary Group representatives and my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Minister for Pensions. As this issue is already being discussed through these appropriate channels, I do not plan to meet with WASPI directly, as Secretary of State, at this time. Ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions have been clear that the Government will make no further changes to the pension age or pay financial redress in lieu of a pension. The UK Government has committed over £1 billion to ensure that the maximum change to women’s State Pension age was limited to 18 months compared to the previous timetable, and transitional arrangements are already in place for this to take effect.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

West Ham United Football Club: Sportsgrounds

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what date her Department was informed of the content of the deal to let the Olympic stadium to West Ham United Football Club.

Tracey Crouch: The Stadium Concession Agreement was agreed in March 2013 between the owners of the stadium, E20 Stadium LLP (a joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corporation and the London Borough of Newham) and West Ham United Football Club. The Government was not a party to this agreement. My department was informed of some elements of the (then) draft agreement in late January and early February 2013. My department saw the full content of the Stadium Concession Agreement when it was made public in redacted form on 9 October 2015 and in full on 14 April 2016.

Broadband: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in (a) Enfield North constituency and (b) the London Borough of Enfield.

Matt Hancock: The Enfield North constituency has 43,183 premises and we estimate from the available supplier data that coverage will reach around 99.3% by the end of commercial roll-out, or approximately 42,800, will have access to superfast broadband. The Government is encouraging the commercial sector to extend coverage across cities. BT has announced £50 million of investment in new commercial coverage, much of which will be aimed at London, and Virgin Media has announced a demand led investment programme of £3 billion over the next few years. There are also many other active suppliers in London. As a result of commercially-led delivery and public funding in areas which are not commercially viable, superfast broadband coverage across the UK now reaches 90% of premises, providing access to speeds of more than 24Mbps. Coverage is on track to increase to 95% of premises by December 2017. Furthermore, the Government is committed to a Universal Service Obligation, so all premises in the country will have access to broadband at a speed of 10Mbps with the mechanism to do this, the Digital Economy Bill, in place by the end of this Parliament.

Voluntary Work

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to set up a commission to assess the potential merits of introducing a new legal status to recognise participation in long-term volunteering programmes.

Mr Rob Wilson: Long-term volunteering programmes provide many benefits, not only to those whose lives are being helped but also to those who take part in them. Government is committed to supporting social action, including long-term volunteering. We are looking at existing barriers to long-term volunteering and the appropriate way in which these can be addressed.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Procurement

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which contracts in his Department operate on a payment by results basis.

Caroline Nokes: The Department will not pay suppliers that do not fulfil their contractual obligations. In that respect all contracts managed by the Department operate on a payment by results basis.I have however interpreted the question as relating to contracts designed to help people back into employment, where suppliers are paid for individual job outcomes.The following contracts operate on this basis:Work ChoiceSpecialist Employability Support (SES)Access to Work (AtW) Mental Health support serviceAccess to Work (AtW) AssessmentsEuropean Social Fund Contracts (ESF)Work Programme (WP)Community Work Placements (CWP)Youth Engagement Fund (YEF)New Enterprise Allowance (Phase 1)Relationship Support ContractsDynamic Purchasing System (DPS) – in part Notes:Work Choice – 29 contracts. Payment by results is linked to job outcomes and sustained job outcomes which relate to 50% of the incomeSpecialist Employability Support (SES) – 6 contract. Payment by results with same design as Work Choice.Access to Work (AtW) Mental Health support service – 7 contracts. Payment by results linked to delivery of support to customersAccess to Work (AtW) Assessments – 7 contracts. Payment by results linked to delivery of assessmentsEuropean Social Fund Contracts (ESF) – 31 contracts. Payment by result linked to job outcomes and sustained job outcomes.Work Programme (WP) – 41 contracts. Payment by result linked to job outcomes and sustained job outcomes.Community Work Placements (CWP) – 18 contract Payment by result linked to four outcomes.Youth Engagement Fund (YEF) – 4 contracts Payment by results relating to six outcomesNew Enterprise Allowance (Phase 1) – 15 Contracts Payment by result for four outcomesRelationship Support Contracts – 5 separate contracts that use a mix of outcome result payments (36%) and output payments.Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) – 10 live contracts in place which include payments by results in the form of client job starts and job outcomes.

Pension Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people receiving pension credit payments have deferred their state pension in the last 12 months.

Richard Harrington: The department does not hold information on those that have yet to claim their State Pension. Information on how many people receiving Pension Credit payments have deferred their State Pension is not available.Any Pension Credit recipients who have deferred claiming their State Pension have the full value of that deferred State Pension taken into account on a pound for pound basis when calculating their entitlement to Pension Credit.

Housing Benefit

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken regional cost-benefit analyses on the effect of imposing a housing benefit cap in areas with local housing allowance rates.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is not available.The latest impact assessment for the lower benefit cap is published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap

Personal Independence Payment

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls have been made to the personal independence payment enquiry line in the last six months; and what the average waiting time was before those calls were answered.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of calls made to the Personal Independence Payment Enquiry line in the 6 month period from May 2016 to October 2016 was 1,455,474. The average speed of answer for calls received in the same period was 00:06:25.

Universal Credit

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of universal credit applications that included a GP report as supporting evidence in the last 12 months.

Damian Hinds: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24/10/2016 to UIN48904.

Children: Maintenance

Amanda Solloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to recover outstanding child maintenance payments in Derby North.

Caroline Nokes: Where parents fail to fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children we have a range of strong enforcement powers at our disposal. These powers include deducting maintenance directly from earnings, instructing bailiffs to collect arrears or seize goods, forcing the sale of property, commitment to prison and disqualification from driving. We’re also seeking to extend these powers where appropriate for instance deducting money from bank accounts held jointly by the paying parent.

Funerals: Costs

Amanda Solloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of funeral services in each of the last five years; and what steps he plans to take to provide a more affordable service.

Caroline Nokes: The Department for Work and Pensions is not responsible for providing funeral services and has made no assessment of the cost of funeral services. The Department continues to make Funeral Expenses Payments to people on qualifying income-based benefits and tax credits who are arranging a funeral. Funeral Expenses Payments make a significant contribution towards the costs of a simple, respectful funeral.

Social Security Benefits

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing the benefit cap to £23,000 in London and £20,000 elsewhere on helping unemployed people into work.

Caroline Nokes: Evaluation evidence of the original benefit cap showed that capped households were 41% more likely to enter work than similar non-capped households. Looking at London alone, capped households were 70% more likely to enter work than similar non-capped London households. The new tiered benefit cap strengthens work incentives and ensures that the work incentive effects are better felt across the country.To help individuals into employment, a range of employment support and advice is available from Jobcentres, including for claimants who do not have any conditionality requirements. This includes additional work coach time for those claimants not already fully supported in their work search. Households who may be affected by the new benefit cap were informed of the support on offer in advance to help them move into work.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the findings and recommendations of the report of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, published on 6 October 2016, entitled Inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland carried out by the Committee under article 6 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

Penny Mordaunt: My Department has already reflected on the UN Committee’s findings and recommendations as set out in the UK Government response, which was published at the same time as the report.

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households in each local authority area in London whose weekly income will be reduced by (a) under £20, (b) between £21 and £39.99, (c) between £40 and £59.99, (d) between £60 and £79.99, (e) between £80 and £99.99 and (d) over £100 as a result of the introduction of the lower benefit cap.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is in table 1 below.Table 1: Average weekly reduction in Housing Benefit due to introduction of the lower benefit cap, 2016/17 Under £20between £20 and £39.99between £40 and £59.99Over £60TotalBarking and Dagenham100100300-500Barnet200300300-800Bexley-100200-300Brent300500700-1500Bromley--200-200Camden100200200-600City of London-----Croydon100100500-700Ealing400300700-1300Enfield200400600-1200Greenwich100100200-400Hackney300500400-1200Hammersmith and Fulham200100200-500Haringey200300400-800Harrow100100200-300Havering100100200-300Hillingdon200100200-500Hounslow100100300-500Islington100200200-600Kensington and Chelsea100200200-500Kingston upon Thames-100100-200Lambeth200100300-600Lewisham100100400-600Merton-100100-200Newham200100500-800Redbridge100100200-400Richmond upon Thames--100-200Southwark100100200-500Sutton--100-100Tower Hamlets200200500-900Waltham Forest200100300-600Wandsworth200100300-600Westminster200200400-800 Notes:Estimates show the weekly reduction as a result of the introduction of the lower benefit cap only and not the overall reduction from the benefit cap.Estimates assume no behavioural responses - any behavioural responses to the lower cap, such as claimants moving into employment, would cause the number of households affected to reduce.The number of capped households has been rounded to the nearest 100 households. For Local Authorities with fewer than 50 households, these are recorded as “-“ to avoid the release of confidential data.Totals may not sum due to roundingThe methodology used to estimate the households affected by the cap and the average reduction is consistent with that described in the latest impact assessment published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap The benefit cap will be lowered from 7th November from £26,000 to £20,000, except in London where it will be lowered to £23,000 (a lower cap applies to single adult households). To help ensure Local Authorities are able to protect the most vulnerable Housing Benefit claimants and to support households adjusting to our welfare reforms, the Government will provide £870m funding for Discretionary Housing Payments over the next 5 years from 2016/17. Information about this and other measures to ease the transition for families affected by this policy change is included in the latest impact assessment at the link above.

Department for Work and Pensions

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2016 to Question 49827, what the URL is for the publication of details of his Department's ministerial official visits and official meetings with external organisations and individuals on the gov.uk website.

Caroline Nokes: The URL for the Department’s ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly on the gov.uk website.A link has been provided:-https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-ministers-hospitality-and-gifts#history

Social Security Benefits: Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many social security claims in England were terminated because the individual in receipt of the benefits took their own life in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: The Department does not collect information on cause or manner of death of an individual, only a record of the date of death. Suicide is a tragic and complex issue which we take extremely seriously. If information is received that a DWP client has attempted or completed suicide and it is alleged that DWP activity may have contributed to this, we carry out an internal review to establish whether anything should have been done differently.

Housing Benefit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the potential effect of forthcoming changes to support for housing costs for (a) people under 35 living in social housing and (b) 18 to 21 year olds on the Government's homelessness prevention agenda.

Caroline Nokes: My Department is in constant contact with the Department for Communities and Local Government on matters related to welfare reform, particularly where there is potential for impact on housing or homelessness policy.

Department for Work and Pensions: Digital Technology

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the budget is for DWP Digital for financial year 2016-17.

Caroline Nokes: The budget for DWP Digital for financial year 2016-17 is £1,032m

Poverty

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many working households in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the UK were classed as being in poverty in the most recent year for which data is available and in each of the two previous years.

Caroline Nokes: Relative low income is used as a proxy for poverty. The number of working households in relative low income is not available for Ashfield. This is because survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. The average number of working households classed as being in relative low income in the East Midlands is 100,000 for the latest 3 -year period 2012/13 - 2014/15. This was also 100,000 in 2011/12 - 2013/14 and 100,000 in 2010/11 - 2012/13. The average number of working households classed as being in relative low income in the United Kingdom is 1.7 million for the latest 3-year period 2012/13 - 2014/15. This was 1.5 million in 2011/12 - 2013/14 and 1.4 million in 2010/11 - 2012/13. It continues to be clear that work is the best route out of poverty. In 2014/15 - 8% of children in households where all adults were working were in relative low income, compared with 47% in workless households.

Housing Benefit

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many working households in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the UK were in receipt of housing benefit in each of the last three financial years.

Caroline Nokes: The requested figures are not available for UK. This response includes estimates for Great Britain.Table 1. Estimates for the number of In-Work Families in receipt of Housing Benefit for East-Midlands and Great Britain   Millions In-Work Families in receipt of Housing BenefitFinancial YearEast MidlandsGreat Britain2012/130.11.22013/140.11.32014/150.11.3 Source: Family Resources Survey 2012/13, 2013/14, and 2014/15Notes:Estimates have been rounded to nearest 100,000

Social Security Benefits: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households to be affected in Ashfield constituency by the introduction of the lower cap on the amount which working households are entitled to receive in benefits.

Caroline Nokes: It is estimated that in the Ashfield constituency around 200 households could be affected by the lower benefit cap in 2016/17. Notes:Estimates assume no behavioural responses - any behavioural responses to the lower cap, such as claimants moving into employment, would cause the number of households affected to reduceThe number of capped households has been rounded to the nearest 100 households.The methodology used to estimate the households affected by the cap is consistent with that described in the latest impact assessment published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's report, a Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, which devolved administrations, on how many occasions, his Department has met to discuss plans for the defence estate.

Mark Lancaster: "A Better Defence Estate" is a military-led review.Ministry of Defence officials meet regularly with the Welsh and Scottish Governments to discuss plans for the defence estate. With reference to the plans set out in "A Better Defence Estate", the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has held two meetings with representatives from the Scottish Government. The MOD has written to the devolved administrations and will continue the process of detailed planning and necessary engagement for the implementation of this strategy.

Armed Forces Covenant

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Ministry of Defence contractors have signed the community covenant.

Mark Lancaster: This information is not held in the format requested.However, over 1,200 commercial organisations have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging specific support for the Armed Forces Community.Details of them can be viewed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-force-corporate-covenant-signed-pledgesSome of our major contractors who have signed the Covenant are:AirbusAmeyAtkinsAtosBabcockBAE SystemsBoeingCapitaCarillionCompass GroupDeloitteEYG4SGeneral DynamicsHewlett PackardInterserveKBRKPMGLeonardoPwCRolls RoyceSercoSodexoThales

Burma: Armed Forces

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2016 to Question 52316, whether he intends to meet the Burmese military, Tatmadaw, to discuss democratic accountability and adherence to international law and human rights.

Mike Penning: The Secretary of State for Defence does not have any current plans to meet the Burmese military, Tatmadaw.

Home Office

Home Office: Iron and Steel

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the level of procurement of British steel by her Department in the last 12 months.

Sarah Newton: The information is not centrally held in the form requested. Over the last year Government has acted to level the playing field for UK steel producers in light of the complex global challenges faced by the UK steel sector. Last December Government issued guidance to central government departments on how to ensure that they take full account of the value provided by UK steel producers when conducting their procurement activities. This guidance is also being extended to the wider public sector.

Home Office: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of women are employed by her Department on an inner London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is set out in the table below:Grade% Female in GradeOf staff who are female: % on London Pay Of staff on London Pay: % who are female(a) Administrative Assistant58%27%52%(b) Administration Officer60%31%60%(c) Executive Officer49%41%53%(d) Higher Executive Officer50%53%53%(e) Fast Streamer50%100%50%(f) Senior Executive Officer48%66%48%(g) Grade 745%81%46%(h) Grade 646%82%45%(i/j) SCS PB136%54%44%(k/l)) SCS PB2+24%67%36%Grand Total52%44%52%Data Source: Data View - Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data for Home Office.Period Covered: Figures are as at 30th September 2016Extraction Date: 1st October 2016For years 2012 to 2015, 31st December in each yearFor January to September 2016, 1st October 2016.Organisational Coverage: Home OfficeEmployee Coverage: Data is based on headcount of current paid civil servants

Refugees: Rescue Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which migrant rescue missions the Government is involved in; and how many migrants have been rescued in the Mediterranean by UK vessels relative to last year's figures.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The UK is currently providing support to multiple operations across the Mediterranean.Some of these have an explicit focus on search and rescue: Border Force and Royal Navy assets are supporting Operations POSEIDON and TRITON in the Aegean and central Mediterranean respectively.Migrants have also been rescued this year as part of Operation SOPHIA – the EU’s military response to counter migrant smuggling from Libya. Although SOPHIA does not have a search and rescue mandate, under the UNCLOS, vessels respond to those in distress at sea. UK vessels have rescued over 25,000 migrants since January 2015, 9,000 of those within this calendar year.

Domestic Violence: Males

Mr Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent to support male victims of domestic abuse in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Sarah Newton: The Government is committed to tackling all forms of domestic violence, and supporting all victims. The Government has provided over £30 million of funding for domestic and sexual abuse victims over the last three years. The majority of these services have been commissioned on the basis that the needs of all victims are met.The Home Office has specifically funded the Men’s Advice Line, which provides support and advice to male victims of domestic violence and the national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender domestic abuse helpline over the last three years.

Immigration

Amanda Solloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the suitability of the 28 day period given to people granted the right to remain in the UK to find housing and employment.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are supported by the Home Office under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.If they are granted refugee status, this support ends 28 days later because they are given permission to work and can apply for any welfare benefits and local authority housing assistance for which they may be eligible.We are working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions and others to ensure that newly recognised refugees engage promptly with Jobcentre Plus and the local authority about these matters.

Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2016 to Question 50734, if she will make an assessment, other than by using passenger survey data, of the number of international students each year who break their visa obligations by remaining in the UK after their course has ended.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Over time the data obtained through exit checks will contribute to the statistical picture.The Home Office is continuing to assess and analyse elements of the exit check data collected in relation to specific cohorts to understand the extent to which estimates provided are statistically robust.This level of detail is not yet available.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Government plans to publish the National Statement of Expectations to provide a framework for the local commissioning of services relating to violence against women and girls.

Sarah Newton: The Government published our Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy in March 2016, which announced increased funding of £80 million from 2016 to 2020 to protect women and girls from violence, including support for refuges and other accommodation-based services, funding to national helplines, and from 2017, the launch of the VAWG Transformation Fund.We are committed to working across Government to deliver the commitments outlined in the Strategy. The Home Office is leading work across Government to support local commissioning of services to victims and survivors of VAWG. We will set out a clear blueprint for local action though a new National Statement of Expectations and Commissioning Toolkit, which will be available to local commissioning bodies and groups. We currently plan to publish the National Statement of Expectations before the end of this year.

Home Office: Equality

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2016 to Question 50980, on Home Office: equality, how her Department records the information to ensure compliance with its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Sarah Newton: Current legislation does not specify how this information needs to be recorded and it is not a statutory requirement in England to prepare or publish information in a particular format. The Home Office utilises Policy Equality Statements (PES) to detail equality considerations and demonstrate due regard has been paid in the delivery of our services, in line with our obligations under the Public Sector Equality duty.Home Office directorates are instructed to complete a PES whenever;• There are changes to existing policy, guidance or operational activity• There are reviews of existing policy, guidance or operational activity

Violence against Women and Girls Ministerial Group

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the Inter-Ministerial Group on Violence against Women and Girls met in 2016.

Sarah Newton: The Violence Against Women and Girls Inter Ministerial Group has met twice in 2016.

Borders

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library a copy of the UK's Border Strategy.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office’s Single Departmental Plan 2015 to 2020, first published in 2015 and updated in February 2016, sets out the department’s strategic objectives for this Parliament including on securing the border, and how the department is fulfilling the commitments made. The plan is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-single-departmental-plan-2015-to-2020/single-departmental-plan-2015-to-2020)

Missing Persons: Females

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women and girls aged 18 or under were reported missing between 1998 and 2005 who (a) were subsequently found and (b) are still recorded as missing.

Sarah Newton: This information is held by individual police forces.Between 1998 and 2005, the Metropolitan Police Service was responsible for the Missing Persons Bureau, but did not publish reports detailing the number of missing cases. The National Crime Agency is now responsible for the Missing Persons Bureau and publishes annual statistics on missing persons, which includes statistics on missing people by gender and age. This is available here: http://missingpersons.police.uk

Compass Contracts

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what decisions her Department has taken on extending compass asylum accommodation contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Officials are continuing to carefully consider the extension of the existing contracts in accordance with their terms. I will write to the Honourable Member when a decision has been made.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan nationals living in the UK who worked as interpreters in Afghanistan for UK forces have had their asylum application rejected by her Department in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on non-London pay structures in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Guto Bebb: The Wales Office is a very small department where the majority of women work at our Cardiff Office. The proportion of these women, on the National Plus pay structure (a non-London pay structure), by grade is detailed below: Proportion of Women in Cardiff%(a) Administrative Assistant0%(b) Administrative Officer0%(c) Executive Officer14%(d) Higher Executive Officer36%(e) Fast Streamer0%(f) Senior Executive Officer29%(g) Grade Seven7%(h) Grade Six14%(i) Senior Civil Service Band 10%(j) Senior Civil Service Band 1Ano staff employed at this grade(k) Senior Civil Service Band 20%(l) Senior Civil Service Band 3no staff employed at this grade

Wales Office: Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many working days were lost due to mental illness in his Department in each of the last three years.

Guto Bebb: The number of days lost in the Wales Office recorded as being due to mental health disorders at the 31 December for each of the last 3 calendar years is shown below: YearNumber of days lost201551201402013199

HM Treasury

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Neil Coyle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to publish its report on Equitable Life.

Simon Kirby: The report will be published in due course.

Exchange Rates: Wines

Tim Loughton: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of the relative devaluation of the pound on the UK's wine industry.

Jane Ellison: HM Treasury has not made an assessment on the effect of a relative devaluation of the pound on the UK’s wine industry. However, HM Treasury engages with a wide variety of organisations, including the Wine and Spirits Trade Association to understand developments in the wine market.

Wines: Excise Duties

Tim Loughton: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the forecast rise in inflation on the Government's projections for wine duty income over the next five years.

Jane Ellison: The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes the forecast for wine duty receipts and wine clearances. This is published in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The most recent Economic and Fiscal Outlook was published in March 2016, and is available at http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2016/

Banks: Closures

Tim Farron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of towns and villages which have been left without a bank in the last five years due to local branch closures.

Simon Kirby: The Treasury does not produce estimates relating to bank branch closures.

Apprentices: Taxation

Jess Phillips: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools will be obliged to pay the apprenticeship levy.

Jane Ellison: The Government published a breakdown of employers in scope of the apprenticeship levy in August 2016. This suggested that 2,590 employers would be in the education sector. The full publication is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545145/Apprenticeships_-expected_levy_and_total_spend_-_Aug_2016.pdf It is not possible to accurately identify the number of primary and secondary schools who will pay the levy because, for many, the employer will be a local council or multi academy trust.

Cabinet Office

Gulf Strategy Unit

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Gulf states the Gulf Strategy Unit has received representations from and with which countries the Unit has met.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the policy of the Gulf Strategy Unit is on relations with Bahrain.

Ben Gummer: The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team routinely meets a range of international partners, including from each of the Gulf States, in carrying out its remit to coordinate the Government’s strategic approach to UK engagement with the Gulf States. The Gulf Strategy Integrated Delivery Team is not responsible for policy on the UK relationship with Bahrain. That responsibility rests with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Electronic Government

John Spellar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to prevent third-party websites from reselling Government services by deception.

Ben Gummer: Copycat websites undermine trust in online services, and this government is committed to stopping them. We are taking action on three fronts.First, we are taking action to shut down such sites and prevent them from appearing in search engines. We are working with search engine providers to ensure they implement their terms and conditions on copycat website advertising - this has helped to increase the click-through to official Government websites by 30%. Security teams in departments across government are also actively monitoring the internet for bogus sites, and taking action accordingly.Secondly we are improving the consistency and quality of Government websites, so that consumers can recognise and trust official sources of information.Finally we are working closely with other bodies such as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Which? to raise awareness of this issue and ensure action is taken where appropriate

Opinion Polls

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which five government departments in (a) poll number and (b) cost terms make most use of opinion poll companies; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: The Cabinet Office does not hold any information relating to the use of opinion poll companies by other government departments.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Investment: Treaties

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to develop a framework for bilateral investment treaties to be implemented when the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: The UK is signatory to over 90 bilateral investment treaties (BITs). Until the UK leaves the EU, we will remain subject to EU trade & investment agreements and policy.

Nigel Farage

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether Ministers or officials of his Department have had discussions with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives on the UK's international trade policy in the last three months.

Greg Hands: Neither my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State, Ministers nor officials from the Department for International Trade have had discussions with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives on the UK’s international trade in the last three months.

Nigel Farage

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Ministers or officials of his Department plan to speak or meet with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives to discuss the UK's international trade policy.

Greg Hands: Neither my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State, Ministers nor officials from the Department for International Trade have any plans to speak or meet with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives to discuss international trade policy.

EU External Trade: Sri Lanka

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he plans to oppose the EU decision in the event that the EU grants Generalised System of Preferences Plus status to trade between the EU and Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: The European Commission will assess Sri Lanka’s request to benefit from the tariff preferences under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). If the request is accepted, the Commission will adopt a Delegated Act for approval by the EU Member States and the European Parliament. The UK Government will assess the application according to the provisions in the EU’s GSP Regulation (978/2012).

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Floods: Greater Manchester

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on flood assessments which have been carried out in Greater Manchester; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency has undertaken detailed flood modelling for the Greater Manchester area and properties at risk of flooding are shown on the Environment Agency’s flood map. The map is available at: https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk. Additional modelling has been commissioned following the December 2015 flooding to ensure these flood risk assessments are as up-to-date as possible. The Environment Agency works with Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) and United Utilities as the Greater Manchester Flood Risk Management Partnership, which takes an integrated approach to the management of flood risk from all sources. LLFAs are the responsible authorities for managing flood risk from surface water and the Partnership has developed a Surface Water Management Plan to identify high risk locations and inform investment decisions. The Environment Agency works closely with partners by providing advice and support to help develop and implement plans reducing flood risk to communities.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of charging at refuse collection centres on (a) fly-tipping within the local authority area containing such centres and (b) levels of footfall at such centres.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There is a long-established precedent of free access for local residents to deposit household waste and recycling at household waste recycling centres. Local authorities may charge for the deposit of ‘non household’ waste such as car tyres and/or for users not resident within the local authority area. Where charges are applied these should be determined in consultation with local residents, taking account of legislation and the potential for flytipping and other negative environmental impacts. Defra publishes annual statistics summarising the number and type of incidents of illegally deposited waste, the cost of dealing with them and the actions taken against fly-tipping in England. Household waste, which includes ‘black bags’ and ‘other’, is the largest waste type contributing to all fly-tipping incidents. In total this accounted for 66% of all incidents in 2014-15. In 2014-15 local authorities spent £50m clearing and disposing of waste fly-tipped on public land. The Department has not carried out a separate assessment of the effects of charging at refuse collection centres on flytipping within local authority areas or levels of footfall at such centres.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to offer alternative financial incentives to local authorities that plan to introduce charging for the use of refuse collection centres.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There is a long-established precedent of free access for local residents to deposit household waste and recycling at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs). This ensures local residents are able to deposit these materials safely and at minimal environmental impact. Local authorities can charge for the deposit of ‘non household’ waste and can also charge users not resident within the local authority area. The detail of these charging arrangements is for local authorities to determine in consultation with local residents taking account of the framework set by legislation and potential for other environmental impacts.

Tigers: Asia

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with governments in Asian countries with a tiger population on the survival of that animal in the wild.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with governments in African countries with a rhino population on the survival of that animal in the wild.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with governments in African countries with a cheetah population on the survival of that animal in the wild.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with governments in African countries with an elephant population on the survival of that animal in the wild.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The UK is actively supporting efforts to ensure the survival of tigers, rhino and elephant in the wild and this involves discussions with key range countries. I attended the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of Parties held in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October, where the UK, working with the Member States of the European Union and Asian and African range countries, played a leading role in achieving strong outcomes for tigers, elephants and rhinos that will help ensure their survival in the wild. For example, the UK engaged with influential tiger range countries such as India to ensure substantial decisions relating to enforcement and tiger breeding facilities were adopted. Through our work as Chair of the CITES Rhino Working Group we discuss conservation and illegal trade issues with both African and Asian countries which have populations of rhino. Elephant and ivory issues formed a significant part of the conference and the UK discussed these issues with a wide range of countries, including a number of African range states. The CITES Conference also adopted decisions in relation to cheetahs which the UK supported although we had no direct engagement in those discussions. Poaching is a major threat to elephants, rhino and tigers and the UK has played a leading role in efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The UK was represented by the Secretary of State at the Illegal Wildlife Trade Vietnam conference, on 17-18 November in Hanoi, where the UK goal is to promote further international practical action on the key themes identified and the commitments agreed at the London Conference in 2014. As part of this we have discussed this matter with a number of key range states, as well as transit and consumer countries.

Primates: Africa

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with governments in African countries with a chimpanzee population on the survival of that animal in the wild.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with governments in African countries with a gorilla population on the survival of that animal in the wild.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with governments in African countries with a lowland gorilla population on the survival of that animal in the wild.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra has had no specific discussions with African governments with a population of chimpanzee, gorilla or lowland gorilla on the survival of these animals in the wild. However, the UK is a member of the Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP). This is a United Nations initiative committed to ensuring the long term survival of great apes and their habitats in Africa and Asia, which includes chimpanzees and gorillas. Additionally we have funded projects through the Darwin Initiative that have benefitted chimpanzees and gorillas.

Flood Control

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency funding was made available by her Department for flooding in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: While Defra does not hold contingency funding specifically for flooding, the Environment Agency’s incident response capability ensures we are prepared to respond effectively to flooding when it does occur. Where more funding is required, Defra and the Environment Agency will reprioritise its activities in the first place to meet costs. In case of extreme events, like the flooding we saw last winter and in 2013/14, we work with the HM Treasury to ensure that funding is available to support our response and recovery activities.

Department of Health

Circle Holdings

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of decisions taken by Circle Holdings PLC in the delivery of musculoskeletal services in Greenwich on the financial capacity of the local healthcare trust to sustain accident and emergency services at University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 17 October 2016.The correct answer should have been:

The procurement of local health services by means of competitive tendering is a matter for the local National Health Service. We are advised by NHS England that Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group’s Turnaround Director and Musculoskeletal (MSK) Programme Manager met the senior management team of Lewisham and Greenwich Healthcare Trust in March 2016. We understand that the implications of the MSK service procurement were discussed in detail, and that there were no concerns with regard to the viability of any other services the Trust provides. We are further advised by NHS England that it undertook an assurance of the procurement process for the MSK service in Greenwich in August 2016. We also understand that NHS Improvement was aware of the procurement and briefly discussed it with the Trust during a standing monthly meeting on 21 June 2016.  and as part of this also met with the Trust to discuss the implications of the procurement for the trust.We understand that Circle Health has been engaging with Lewisham and Greenwich Healthcare Trust as part of the mobilisation process, including developing clinical and operational delivery plans to provide integrated services.

Mr Philip Dunne: The procurement of local health services by means of competitive tendering is a matter for the local National Health Service. We are advised by NHS England that Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group’s Turnaround Director and Musculoskeletal (MSK) Programme Manager met the senior management team of Lewisham and Greenwich Healthcare Trust in March 2016. We understand that the implications of the MSK service procurement were discussed in detail, and that there were no concerns with regard to the viability of any other services the Trust provides. We are further advised by NHS England that it undertook an assurance of the procurement process for the MSK service in Greenwich in August 2016. We also understand that NHS Improvement was aware of the procurement and briefly discussed it with the Trust during a standing monthly meeting on 21 June 2016.  and as part of this also met with the Trust to discuss the implications of the procurement for the trust.We understand that Circle Health has been engaging with Lewisham and Greenwich Healthcare Trust as part of the mobilisation process, including developing clinical and operational delivery plans to provide integrated services.

Care Homes: Older People

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that care at elderly care homes (a) is of high quality and (b) ensures that families and friends are able to maintain strong relationships with the recipient of care through visitations.

David Mowat: Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, all providers of regulated activities must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and meet a set of Fundamental Standards of safety and quality, below which care provision should never fall. The Fundamental Standards were introduced on 1 April 2015. They set out the basic requirements that providers should always meet and outline the outcomes that services users should always expect. The CQC monitors, inspects and regulates services against the Standards and publishes its findings. Following inspection, the CQC rates providers on a four point scale - outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate. The ratings give patients and the public a fair, balanced and easy to understand assessment of performance and quality. Services rated inadequate receive help to improve, but any that are unable or unwilling to do so face closure. Since 2014, the CQC has employed a tougher inspection regime, which makes use of a higher-skilled inspection resource in order to get to the heart of peoples’ experiences of care. Inspections are structured around five key questions that matter most – are services safe, caring, effective, well-led and responsive to peoples’ needs? As at 3 October 2016, the CQC had rated 18,156, out of more than 25,000 adult social care services, of which 199 were judged to be outstanding, 13,182 good, 4,401 requires improvement and 374 inadequate. The CQC expects to have rated all services by the end of March 2017. The Fundamental Standards include requirements that “People’s relationships with their visitors, carer, friends, family or relevant other persons should be respected and privacy maintained as far as reasonably practicable during visits” and that “Any complaint received must be investigated and necessary and proportionate action must be taken in response to any failure identified by the complaint or investigation”. Anyone who is not satisfied with the response to a complaint about an adult social care service is entitled to ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate.

General Practitioners

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the (a) number and (b) accessibility of practising GPs.

David Mowat: The Government is committed to improving access to general practitioner (GP) services as part of our plan for a seven day National Health Service. By 2020, everyone will be able to access routine GP appointments at evenings and weekends, as part of the Government’s commitment to a seven day NHS. On 21 April 2016, NHS England published the GP Forward View, a package of support to help get general practice back on its feet, improve patient care and access, and invest in new ways of providing primary care. The GP Forward View sets out that we are investing an extra £2.4 billion a year for general practice services by 2020/21 – this represents a 14% increase in real terms. The overall investment for general practice includes a £500 million national 'turnaround' package to support GP practices. A part of the GP Forward View, there are plans to double the rate of growth of the medical workforce to create an extra 5,000 additional doctors working in general practice by 2020. This will include increasing GP training recruitment, a major national and international recruitment campaign, bursaries and post-certificate of completion of training fellowships in hard to recruit areas, and encouraging GPs back into general practice. There is also a commitment to a minimum of 5,000 other staff working in general practice by 2020/21. This will include investment in an extra 3,000 mental health therapists and investment to pilot and then extend clinical pharmacists in practices. There will be investment in a general practice nurse development strategy and to support the training of reception and clerical staff, practice manager development and multi-disciplinary training hubs. In addition there will be introduction of a new Pharmacy Integration Fund, pilots of new medical assistant roles to support doctors and investment by Health Education England in the training of 1,000 physician associates to support general practice. There will be a major £30 million ‘Releasing Time for Patients’ development programme to help release capacity within general practice.

NHS: Staff

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of skills shortages within the NHS.

Mr Philip Dunne: Working with local National Health Service organisations, Health Education England produces an annual National Workforce Plan for England, which sets out future training requirements for the NHS. At a local level, it is the responsibility of NHS organisations to ensure that their staff, through Continuing Professional Development, have the ongoing skills required to deliver safe and effective care to patients.

Palliative Care

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage at risk patients to consider advanced planning of end of life care.

David Mowat: Our ambition is for everyone approaching the end of life to receive high quality care that reflects their individual needs, choices and preferences. On 5 July, we set out our plans to improve end of life care in the Government response to the independent Review of Choice in End of Life Care, including a commitment to develop and document a personalised care plan, based on what matters to you and your needs and preferences, including any advance decisions and your views about where you want to be cared for and where you want to die, and to review and revise this plan throughout the duration of your illness. To support delivery, NHS England is working with two New Care Model sites of Airedale and Southend to test an innovative approach to ‘serious illness conversations’ in which clinicians are trained to support people with serious illnesses to discuss what is important to them, treating these discussions as a clinical intervention which delivers patient-centred care. NHS England has also commissioned the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC) to develop an educational film to prepare people with advanced diseases and long term conditions for consultations with clinicians, which will be released in November. The Department and NHS England are working with voluntary sector partners to raise general public awareness of issues around death and dying and the importance of Advance Care Planning. The Department and NHS England support the Dying Matters Coalition, which promotes a national conversation around death and dying. NHS England will also lead a public facing campaign to promote choice and personalisation in end of life care which will be supported by voluntary sector partners, in particular the NCPC, who have been commissioned to lead a piece of work promoting the benefits of Advance Care Planning and the sharing of these records with relevant professionals.

General Practitioners

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the amount of face time between GPs and patients.

David Mowat: The Government is committed to improving access to general practitioner (GP) services. Additional funding of over £500 million by 2020/21 will provide extra capacity across England, meaning that by 2020, everyone will have access to GP appointments, including sufficient routine GP appointments, at evenings and weekends to meet locally determined demand, alongside effective access to other primary care and GP services such as urgent care services. On 21 April 2016, NHS England published the General Practice Forward View, a package of support to help get general practice back on its feet, improve patient care and access, and invest in new ways of providing primary care. The General Practice Forward View sets out that we are investing a minimum extra £2.4 billion a year for general practice services by 2020/21 – this represents a 14% increase in real terms. The overall investment for general practice includes a one off sustainability and transformation package of £500 million national 'turnaround' package to support GP practices over five years. As part of the General Practice Forward View, there are plans to grow the medical workforce to create an extra 5,000 additional doctors working in general practice by 2020/21. This will include increasing general practitioner training recruitment, a major national and international recruitment campaign, bursaries and post-certificate of completion of training fellowships in hard to recruit areas, and encouraging GPs back into general practice. There is also a commitment to a minimum of 5,000 other staff working in general practice by 2020/21. This will include investment in an extra 3,000 mental health therapists for long-term physical conditions and investment to pilot and then extend clinical pharmacists in NHS111 hubs. There will be £15 million investment in a general practice nurse development strategy and to support the training of reception and clerical staff, practice manager development and multi-disciplinary training hubs. In addition there will be introduction of a new Pharmacy Integration Fund, pilots of new medical assistant roles to support doctors and investment by Health Education England in the training of 1,000 physician associates to support general practice. There will also be a major £30 million ‘Releasing Time for Patients’ development programme to help release capacity within general practice.

Heart Diseases: Snoring

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with clinical bodies on the potential connection between chronic snoring and incidences of cardiac arrest.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with clinical bodies on the use of cider vinegar to reduce the risk of strokes.

David Mowat: The Department has had no discussions with clinical bodies on the use of cider vinegar to prevent strokes, nor on the potential connection between chronic snoring and cardiac arrest.

NHS: Sustainable Development

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding for (a) capital investment and (b) contingency planning he plans will be available for the Sussex and East Surrey Sustainability and Transformation Plan; and if he will make a statement.

David Mowat: Requests for capital from Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) footprints will be assessed by NHS England in the coming weeks in parallel with the operational planning and contracting round. Given constraints on public capital, it will test each proposal against whether it improves services and delivers value for money and prioritise accordingly to live within the available budget. Contingency planning will similarly be assessed as the STP constituent parties agree operational plans.

Brain: Tumours

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Brain Tumour Research report on National Research Funding, published in October 2016, if he will launch a public enquiry into reasons for the 40 per cent increase in brain tumour diagnosis in the North East between 2011 and 2014.

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Brain Tumour Research report on National Research Funding, published in October 2016, if he will make an assessment of the reasons for the 40 per cent increase in brain tumour diagnosis in the North East between 2011 and 2014.

David Mowat: These are matters for the local National Health Service. Public Health England advises that the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) collects data on all primary cancers diagnosed in England. The report from Brain Tumour Research shows that there were 241 brain cancers diagnosed in the North East in 2014, and NCRAS data shows that there were 210 diagnoses in 2011. NCRAS recommends that changes in cancer incidence are only compared using an age-standardised rate to ensure differences in the underlying population and changing age structure of an area are taken into account. The age-standardised rate of brain cancer incidence in the North East in 2014 was 9.5 per 100,000, and in 2011 was 8.4 per 100,000. As the number of new diagnoses is relatively small, it is not possible to say that any differences over time, or between the North East and the England average, are outside of that expected by random variation.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received on the use of bisphosphonates for the prevention of secondary breast cancer.

Nicola Blackwood: We have received a number of representations, including Parliamentary Questions, from hon. Members, some on behalf of their constituents, about the use of bisphosphonates for the prevention of secondary breast cancer.

Hearing Impairment: Medical Equipment

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of replacing NHS funded (a) hearing aids, (b) cochlear implants and (c) assistive listening devices in the event that such devices suffer from interference as a result of the release of the 2.35 to 2.39 GHz spectrum bands.

David Mowat: The Office of Communications (OFCOM) is managing the release of the 2.35 to 2.39 GHz spectrum bands. OFCOM has carried out careful tests of listening devices and sought evidence from across the deaf community to ensure these devices will not be affected by future mobile signals.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the UK will retain access to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control after it leaves the EU.

David Mowat: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Catherine West MP) on 17 October 2016 to Question 47173.

Social Services: Training

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of investment in training for 16 to 25 year olds in the adult care sector.

David Mowat: The Department continues to spend significant levels of funding to train and develop the adult social care workforce, including those aged between 16-25. In 2016/17, the Department will provide £23 million in funding to Skills for Care for the training and development of the adult social care workforce including for 16-25 year olds. This includes £12 million for the Workforce Development Fund which provides support to employers for modules and qualifications for their workers in adults’ services in the private and voluntary sectors. The Department is working closely with the sector skills council partner, Skills for Care, through programmes such as apprenticeships in social care and Care Ambassadors which promote positive image of the sector in schools and colleges.

Respite Care: Finance

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answers of 17 March 2016 to Questions 30778 and 30779, how much funding his Department allocated to (a) local authorities, (b) the NHS and (c) the Better Care Fund to fund care improvements, carers' breaks and to safeguard carers' rights in each year since 2009-10.

David Mowat: Funding to local authorities for the delivery of adult social care is made principally by the Department of Communities and Local Government via the Local Government Finance Settlement. Local authorities are best placed to decide how that funding is spent across the range of local services, and therefore no specific allocation is made within that general funding for carers’ services and support. The Department of Health has however made a number of additional ad hoc grants to local authorities in this area. The Department provided grant towards carers, totalling £240 million in 2009/10, and £256 million in 2010/11. Further grants have been made via the Department for Communities and Local Government to support Care Act Implementation, including carers’ services. For 2009/10, the 2008 National Carers’ Strategy made available funding to the National Health Service within primary care trust (PCT) baselines to improve support for carers, announcing £150 million to provide carer breaks (£50 million in 2009/10 and £100 million in 2010/11). The Department made an additional £400 million available to the NHS between 2011/12 and 2014/15 to provide carers breaks. The amount spent in any one year was for PCTs (and later clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)) to decide in line with the requirements of the Operating Framework and subsequently the NHS Mandate. Since 2015/16 funding has been in place through the Better Care Fund (BCF). The BCF allocation to CCGs in 2016/17 includes £138 million to support the implementation of the Care Act 2014 and other policies. This funding has been uplifted from the £135 million made available through the BCF in 2015/16 for a broader set of duties around the Care Act.

Respite Care

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answers of 17 March 2016 to Questions 30778 and 30779, how many  (a) respite care and (b) other care recipients there were in (i) England, (ii) every NUTS 1 region of England and (iii) Hull City Council in each year since 2009-10.

David Mowat: The information on the total number of carers receiving respite or other forms of carer support are shown in the attached tables. We are unable to provide information solely on respite care or other forms of carer support as both categories are combined in the data collection. Data from 2014-15 onwards is not comparable with previous years due to the change in the definitions used for the data collection and the way clients are classified. The data is collected by NHS Digital from the Short and Long Term (SALT) Care data collection from 2014-15 onwards, and the Referrals, Assessments and Packages of Care (RAP) collection for earlier years. Data from SALT 2014-15 onwards include respite and other forms of carer support provided to the carer for the benefit of the cared for person. Figures from 2013-14 and earlier include respite and other services provided to carers – for example direct payments. It should be noted that the regional figures may not add up to the national total due to rounding.



PQ52451 - Table for No. respite or other forms of 
(Word Document, 22.28 KB)

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy that the new £10,000 lump sum payment for widows and widowers of primary beneficiaries under the new contaminated blood support scheme will also be available to the widows and widowers of people who were not directly infected by contaminated blood but who contracted HIV and hepatitis C from people who were.

Nicola Blackwood: The Department is still working with a reference group of experts and the current schemes on this policy. As soon as the policy is confirmed, the Department will publish it and will give guidance as to who is eligible. However, we expect that any bereaved partner or spouse of a secondary infectee will also have access to discretionary support, where the primary infectee was infected in England.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy that widows, partners and others infected with HIV and hepatitis C from people affected by contaminated blood will continue to receive (a) discretionary and (b) non-discretionary support under the reformed support scheme.

Nicola Blackwood: Anyone who is infected with HIV and hepatitis C from people affected by contaminated blood will continue to receive discretionary support on a means tested basis and non-discretionary annual payments.

Palliative Care

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will take further steps to take into account the views of friends and primary care givers who are not relatives where appropriate when end of life care is being managed by health professionals.

David Mowat: On 5 July, the Government set out its plans to improve end of life care in the Government response to the independent Review of Choice in End of Life Care. It set out the Government’s commitment to everyone at the end of life, including that everyone should be able to expect the involvement of their family, carers and those important to them such as close friends in their care, to the extent they wish them to be. All staff involved with dying people must be capable of having difficult conversations about death and dying, take the time to listen carefully to what dying people and those important to them say, and provide opportunities for developing, reviewing and updating personalised care plans with dying people. Health and care providers delivering this care must ensure that staff have the time and space to achieve this. NHS England is working with two New Care Model sites of Airedale and Southend to test an innovative approach to ‘serious illness conversations’ in which clinicians are trained to support people with serious illnesses to discuss what is important to them, treating these discussions as a clinical intervention which delivers patient-centred care. Health Education England (HEE) is developing a refreshed core competency framework to standardise end of life care training and working with partners to strengthen the undergraduate and postgraduate curricula to support patient choice and improve quality of care.

Palliative Care

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the charitable and third sectors on ensuring that the expertise from those sectors informs the planning of the end of life care undertaken by professionals.

David Mowat: In 2014, the Government commissioned the Choice in End of Life Care Programme Board to provide advice on improving the quality and experience of adults at the end of life. The Board included representatives from leading charities concerned with end of life care including Hospice UK, the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC) and Marie Curie. On 5 July, the Government set out their plans to improve end of life care in England in their response to their recommendations after extensive engagement with the third sector. The plan set out the Government’s commitment to everyone at the end of life, and the actions the Department, NHS England and other arm’s length bodies will take to fulfil the commitment. Implementation of the response is being led by the National End of Life Care Programme Board, chaired by Bruce Keogh. NCPC and two members of the Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care Partnership are included on the Board to scrutinise implementation and provide their expertise on end of life care. Going forward the Government, NHS England and other arm’s length bodies continue to extensively engage and collaborate with the third sector. Currently Health Education England is consulting with the end of life care community, including charities and the third sector, on the development of a refreshed core competency framework to standardise end of life care training.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Dame Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on the availability of bisphosphonates for the prevention of secondary breast cancer.

Nicola Blackwood: We have had no such discussions with NHS England. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning these drugs for the prevention of secondary breast cancer based upon clinical judgement.

Alcoholic Drinks

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of Public Health England's alcohol policy evidence review.

Nicola Blackwood: The Public Health England (PHE) alcohol evidence review is authored by PHE staff with contributions drawn from across the organisation. As a result, the total staff costs for this work is difficult to accurately assess.

Alcoholic Drinks

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when Public Health England plans to publish its alcohol policy evidence review.

Nicola Blackwood: The Public Health England alcohol evidence review is expected to be published shortly.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many inpatient beds there were at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2009-10.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the following table. NHS England advises that, during the past 24 months, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has reduced the number of acute hospital beds on its King’s Mill Hospital site. This is as a result of improved patient flow and integrated working with community services, reducing unnecessary waits for rehabilitation and discharge. There has been a long-term trend in the reduction of beds open overnight. A shift towards day case procedures, along with decreasing average length of stay, has reduced the demand for overnight beds in hospital. Average daily number of available consultant-led beds open overnight by sector at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in 2009/10 and 2015/16 TotalGeneral and AcuteLearning DisabilitiesMaternityMental Illness2009/10697648-49-2015/16674626-48- Source: Bed availability and occupancy, NHS England Notes:Numbers of available beds are not collected by consultant specialty, because some beds may be available for more than one specialty to use depending on need. Instead, available beds are collected by four sectors within which beds are used flexibly. These sectors are general and acute, mental health, learning disabilities, and maternity.NHS England publishes quarterly data for bed availability and occupancy by four sectors; general and acute, learning disabilities, maternity and mental illness, prior to 2010/11 the data was an annual return collecting beds by ward classification.

General Practitioners: Generic Prescribing

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2016 to Question 51758, what discussions he has had with representatives of GPs to encourage them to prescribe non-branded drugs wherever possible; and if he will make a statement.

David Mowat: We have had no such discussions. It has long been the Department’s policy to encourage the prescribing of drugs by their generic name, both for reasons of good professional practice and because of the opportunities for more effective use of National Health Service resources. 84.1% of prescriptions dispensed in the community in 2015 were prescribed generically. Responsibility for prescribing rests with the doctor who has clinical responsibility for that particular aspect of a patient's care. Prescribing can be influenced in a number of ways, but ultimately the decision on what to prescribe is made by the prescriber after an informed discussion with their patient. There is nothing to prevent branded prescribing if a clinician considers it essential for a patient to receive a specific product.

Social Services: Living Wage

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2016 to Question 51566, what discussion he has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer, (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and (c) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on whether an assessment should be made of the potential additional cost pressures of the National Living Wage on learning disability service providers' wage budgets in relation to sleep-in shifts.

David Mowat: My ministerial colleagues and I discuss a range of care issues; no assessment has been made specifically pertaining to sleep-in shifts as we do not collect data on the extent of sleep-overs. We work with the care sector to understand challenges and support local authorities to meet their obligations in regard to wages under the Care Act 2014.

Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of local authorities in England have a (a) local suicide prevention plan and (b) local multi-agency suicide prevention group.

Nicola Blackwood: The All Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide Prevention survey previously published this information (January 2015). Up to date information on this is not held by the Department, however Public Health England (PHE) is currently undertaking a survey of local authorities’ suicide prevention action plans and local multi-agency suicide prevention groups across England. This survey is aligned to the guidance for developing local authority suicide prevention action plans which PHE published in October. We will have the results of this shortly.

Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which body is responsible for centrally monitoring the effectiveness of (a) local suicide prevention plans and (b) local multi-agency suicide prevention groups in England.

Nicola Blackwood: Public Health England provides support, resources, data and guidance designed to assist local authority teams in their suicide prevention work. All of these resources are available on our suicide prevention portal on GOV.UK.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of accident and emergency departments in England have 24-hour access to a mental health liaison service.

Nicola Blackwood: Results from the third national survey of liaison mental health services in England show that, of 177 acute general hospitals with Emergency Departments that responded, 94, or 53% have 24/7 cover from a liaison mental health service (98% response rate). The Government has announced a £247 million investment over four years from 2017/18 to 2020/21 to expand provision of liaison mental health services in acute hospital settings. NHS England estimates that this will bring at least 50% of acute hospitals to the Core 24 service standard to meet the recommendation set out in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. Further announcements will be made with regards to this funding shortly.

Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department issues on which agencies within local authorities should have responsibility for overall leadership of local suicide prevention plans.

Nicola Blackwood: Public Health England recently published guidance for local authorities on how to develop a multi-agency suicide prevention partnership; how to make sense of local and national data; and how to develop a suicide prevention strategy and action plan. With this guidance in place, it is for local authorities and their partners to decide which agencies should take leadership at a local level depending on local circumstances.

Health Services: Croydon

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to publish the draft sustainability and transformation plan for Croydon.

David Mowat: Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are locally led plans, and it is for individual areas to publish their plans.Croydon is part of the South West London STP. The South West London STP is available at the following link:https://www.sutton.gov.uk/info/200333/adult_health_and_social_care/1586/sw_london_sustainability_and_transformation_plan_stp